


Home Again

by HogwartsToAlexandria



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Aftermath of Torture, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Boys In Love, Comfort Food, Crying, Established Relationship, Hugs, Hurt/Comfort, Injury Recovery, Iron Man 1: Post-Afghanistan, James "Rhodey" Rhodes Needs a Hug, M/M, Married Couple, POV James "Rhodey" Rhodes, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, aftermath of kidnapping, bedrest
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-26
Updated: 2020-07-26
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:40:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,498
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25526836
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HogwartsToAlexandria/pseuds/HogwartsToAlexandria
Summary: Rhodey's got Tony back at home, resting, but knowing he's right here is not enough, letting him out of his sights is impossible, and even hugs don't let him get close enough for the monster of worry whose roars still echo in his mind from weeks of terror to fully quiet.
Relationships: James "Rhodey" Rhodes/Tony Stark
Comments: 3
Kudos: 68
Collections: Battleship 2020, Battleship 2020 - Red Team





	Home Again

**Author's Note:**

  * For [fencesit](https://archiveofourown.org/users/fencesit/gifts).



> Little treat for you dear! I made myself soft writing this so that's what I'm hoping you'll feel too 😊💙

The doctors said, when they were still looking for Tony with every resources they had at their disposal - and Rhodey was quickly losing his mind - that Tony would probably need a lot of sleep and rest  _ when _ they found him. The "when" part being the only reason Rhodey wasn't already insane. There was no question. They would find him. 

The doctor had said the same thing, to Rhodey  _ and _ Tony once they had found him and brought him to the medics' helicopter, then the base, then the plane. Being home was surreal. Being home knowing Tony had finally managed to doze off on the couch and Rhodey could glance at him every time his heart raced with residual panic was altogether the biggest relief Rhodey had ever experienced in his life and the most overwhelming thing to have ever happened to him. 

Tony was alive. He wasn't well, and Rhodey suspected, even without the conclusion of the army specialists, that there would be more consequences down the line than the state of Tony's breathing. The fact that he’d thrashed with what little strength he had left when the same doctor had tried to get him to shower spoke to that. 

He was all bandaged up now, but the patching up was only trying to fix the tip of the iceberg. Rhodey sighed, in that way you do when you're entire body sags, and yet the pressure you feel remains the same. He looked at Tony again, had trouble doing anything else even though he'd forced himself to get to the kitchen part of their living room to prepare some snacks rather than stare at him sleeping somewhat peacefully for the first time in four days.

The snacks were nothing fancy but if Tony could nibble on some fruit and cheese Rhodey would rest a little easier himself. He'd lost so much weight.

Rhodey blinked, swallowing a cube of cheese of his own as his phone buzzed in his pocket. 

_ "How are you, James?" _ Pepper's text read. 

Rhodey smiled, an exhausted thing of a smile but a smile nonetheless. Not many people had thought to ask him that, not even himself really. It felt nice, even if he thought the answer was inconsequential. All he cared about was that Tony was here. He was here just a few feet away from him and if not for the therapy that would sure be forced on them soon, he couldn't quite picture ever letting him out of his sight ever again. 

_ "I'm okay, Pepper. He's sleeping." _

_ "Alright, that's good. Have you? Slept?" _ She immediately answered. 

_ "Can't." _ Rhodey let the cursor blink at him for a few beats.  _ "I'm fine. I'm better than fine. I got him back. That's all I care about for now. Thank you for asking though." _

The next message took a few more minutes to come in but when it came, Rhodey grinned, pressing on his closed eyelids so no tears would escape. 

_ "You two will get through this. I'm here if you ever need anything, but please, don't forget to eat, sleep and shower too. Tony needs you, but he also needs you to be healthy. I know how you've spent the last few weeks, Rhodey. Promise me?"  _

Damn woman. 

_ "I promise." _

Rhodey absently ate another cube of cheese before grabbing the bottle of water and plate he'd prepared and going back to the couch. Being further away than that was physically painful right now. He sat down on the L-shape of it, put the meal down on the table and leaned his side to the back of the couch, watching Tony's face. 

He was turned on his side, face half-buried in the cushions, legs drawn up as far as they could without it hurting his chest - the position already wasn't ideal, but Rhodey could understand why he'd need to sleep curled up, even if it ripped his heart apart. The little he could see of Tony's face was pale, lined with a fatigue that would certainly take months to lift, and intermittently disturbed by the ticking of his face muscles as he dreamt. 

Carefully, Rhodey splayed his right hand on Tony's jeans-clad calf, while resting his head on the couch on his other side. He just couldn't... couldn't not touch him.

"Worry too much," Tony's mumbled voice pulled Rhodey out of his zoning out. Rhodey couldn't tell how long after he'd sat down it was, but Tony was awake now, so naturally he was too. 

He straightened up slowly, letting the hand he still had on Tony's legs scratch its way up to his husband's thigh, and then waist. 

"I worry the right amount," he replied, winking at the half of Tony's face he could see. "How are you?" 

"Okay until I move?" Tony replied after a moment. 

"Take your time. Got some food if you're hungry." 

"Cheeseburgers?" Tony turned his head, a little groggily but still much faster than he should have, eyebrows wiggling at Rhodey. 

"You want cheeseburgers? We can get some, Happy's on-call." Rhodey smiled at him - decidedly not crying. Nope. No tears at seeing his husband alive and still batshit crazy about his favorite food. 

"If you prepared something, I'm good." Tony whispered back, trying to sit up as he did so, and when Rhodey reached out to help him, Tony clutched his hand in his instead. 

Rhodey watched their hands together, linked as always, the shine of his wedding ring still sparkly and meaningful in Tony's grasp.

"You okay?" Tony's frowny face greeted Rhodey when he looked up. 

"I'm..." Rhodey sucked in a breath. "I'm... fuck. I'm okay," he nodded. 

"My ass," Tony scoffed, then winced - scoffing not cool for the arc reactor situation, Rhodey noted, even as he battled tears again. "Come here, husband." 

Tony bit his lip, his eyes so earnest and deep and exhausted still as he watched him. 

Rhodey scooted closer on the couch, until he was sitting right by Tony's waist and could press his forehead to Tony's shoulder gently. He took a deep breath, smelled his husband skin where his open shirt had ridden down his arm. 

"Jim," Tony whispered, "babe look at me." 

Rhodey blinked faster again, the hoarseness of Tony's voice echoing his own when he repeated, "I'm okay." 

"Bullshit."

"Hugs?" Rhodey conceded, the first tear rolling down his cheek. 

"Yeah, yeah hugs," Tony nodded hard, his own eyes getting glassy. 

"I love you so fucking much." Rhodey whimpered in Tony's neck, a hand holding onto the back of the man's head a little desperately while the other stayed wound to Tony's. 

"You were all I thought about," Tony whispered long after, when Rhodey 

pressed their faces together, dropping erratic kisses on any inch of skin his lips were closest to when the urge came to him. "You're how I got out of there." 

Rhodey squeezed Tony's waist as carefully as he could, breathing hard as he cried silently. 

"Making me cry is such a low blow, Lieutenant Colonel Rhodes." Tony groaned in his ear, his hands drawing patterns on Rhodey's back, his voice thick with his own meltdown. 

Eventually, Tony needed to switch position and he started coughing badly enough that Rhodey pulled away and grabbed the water bottle he'd brought. He uncapped it while making eye contact with Tony, lifting his arms wasn't comfortable yet, he knew. 

"Let me?" Rhodey asked, showing the bottle. 

The expression on Tony's face was unreadable for all of two seconds before he nodded, leaned closer and opened his mouth. Rhodey made sure the water poured down his mouth steadily so none of it would run out of his husband's mouth and put it away when Tony had had enough. 

The atmosphere was still heavy, too heavy for the kind of rest they both needed, so Rhodey forced out a smile and grabbed his phone this time. 

"What are you doing?" Tony tried to peek under his shoulder without moving too much. 

"Ordering in." Rhodey winked. 

"Burgers?" 

"Burgers." Rhodey laughed.

"Then more cuddling?" 

"Hmm, but in bed, so you can lie down properly, that work for you sir?"

"Oh," Tony drawled out, "spooning then?" 

How in the hell a man his age, this tired and battered, could look this excited and innocent at the idea, Rhodey would never know, but the simple thought of having Tony's back all flush to his chest and being able to wind his arms around his husband properly without hurting him was enough to make Rhodey emotional again so he just nodded, vigorously. And then let Tony pull him into a kiss. And then another, and that's all they did until Happy arrived with their food - kissing and reaffirming the fact that they were both here, indulging their mutual need for contact. 

_ "What are the chances I can steal some of those fries, Rhodeybear?"  _

_ "Null, unless you want me to bite your fingers off that is."  _

_ "Mean."  _

_ "Open."  _

_ "What?"  _

_ "Your mouth… it's not stealing if I'm feeding them to you."  _

_ "Nice."  _


End file.
